Villainizer Bids Farewell: Review

Villainizer Final Show with BLEED, Bloated Pig, Tylor Dory Trio and Tales Of The Tomb

September 11th, 2015

Starlite Room

One could feel the anticipation for Villainizer’s farewell show in the days leading up to this particular night. Upon arrival at the venue, even before doors were scheduled to open, several metal heads were already lined up, eager to get their hands on some of the limited Villainizer merchandise being offered. 

Stated on social media as ‘psychological horror metal / death metal / murder metal, Tales of the Tomb opened the show to a steady trickle of arriving metal heads. With lyrical themes revolving around serial killers such as Robert Pickton (check out ‘The Pig Farmer’), cult leaders such as David Koresh, and various other murders and criminal acts, this band offers macabre death metal with a real-life twist. Proving to be a good opener for this particular show, they played an energetic set, preparing the crowd for what was still to come. 

Described by guitarist/vocalist Tylor Dory as the ‘least metal band of the night’, Tylor Dory Trio proved to be an impressive display of true musicianship. Dory has been a talented mainstay in the local metal scene for years, also playing with Villainizer on this particular night (as well as Death Toll Rising the following night). Not having listened to Tylor Dory Trio’s material previously, I was sincerely impressed even though the style is not typical of the sub genres of metal I usually listen to. Always having been impressed with Dory’s guitar abilities, I was also very pleasantly surprised to hear him sing lead vocals. This is definitely a band worth keeping an eye on. 

Bloated Pig were another band that I had not previously seen. While I found them interesting to watch, I also found them to be a touch on the doom-y, sludgy side for my preferences. It seemed as though they were well-appreciated by the crowd though. 

BLEED: the second most hype-inducing band of the evening. (They would have been in close contention with Villainizer for most-anticipated of the night for many if it were not Villainizer’s farewell show). With a brand new album, ‘The Hatred Inside’, set to be officially released at the end of the month, I was excited to see what this band had on offer this evening. When you go to a BLEED show, you know you will be entertained. Horrifically awesome costumes, often hand-constructed by BLEED vocalist Robert Kreed, wicked props, spewing blood, all backed backed by headbanging tunes; what more could you want? As far as I’m concerned, BLEED has earned a place amongst western Canada’s finest live acts and this night was no exception. 

Villainizer has been a band surrounded by hype from its inception in 2009. Project mastermind Rob ‘the Arab Villain’ Abinader has always been heavily involved in the local metal scene, contributing in several less-illustrious aspects than as the frontman of this terrorist thrash metal act. However, this evening was dedicated to showcasing the career of Villainizer and saying good-bye with a bang. If you missed your chance to catch Villainizer live, you seriously missed out. This was the first full Villainizer set that I managed to catch, but what a set it was. The infidels were out in full force, packing Starlite Room to bid a fond farewell. Abinader is a pure entertainer, as evidenced by a larger than life stage presence, provoking lyrics dripping with satire, and more energy than one would think possible. The fans fed off this and the pit didn’t even seem to slow down for the rest of the night. 

Overall, this was one of the best shows, local or otherwise, that I have witnessed in a while. I’m sure there were quite a few hung over metal heads the next morning, made worth it by knowing that this is something that will not be seen again. Villainizer will be sorely missed in the local scene; thank you to the band for creating such a fantastic experience over the last five years for all of thrashers who listened to the albums, bought merchandise and attended shows. 

Farmageddon Open Air 2015 : My Thoughts

The following will be a summary of my thoughts regarding Farmageddon Open Air 2015. I felt as though I should leave the reviews up to the professionals this time. Honestly, I didn’t take in the festival to the extent I felt that I should have in order to write a ‘review’. The last month of my life has been hectic, resulting in a feeling of exhaustion before I even made it to Farmageddon. Certainly not the best precursor to a weekend of beer and metal. I’m still recovering from the cold I caught over the weekend. Discombobulated thoughts, and some misguided advice follow: 

Edmonton Kick-Off Show

• Körperlose Stimme played an excellent set. This was their first show I have been able to catch, but am definitely hoping to see them again. The kick-off was also the first time the band has played live since vocalist Verteidigung was pregnant. I was certainly impressed.
• Ironstorm, with Farmageddon founder Tyson Travnik on drums, also played a solid set. I believe the last time I saw this band, they had a different vocalist (although I could be wrong on this point).
• Anyone who has followed this blog knows that I thoroughly enjoy BLËED. Although the album release was pushed back to a later date, BLËED still delivered with all the ferocity one can expect from this band. After returning from the Wacken Metal Battle Final in Toronto, it was disappointing to see that barely anyone hung around to watch. 
• I enjoyed the wonderfully sticky, slightly off-color ‘murder babies’ and all of the jokes that came with them. I’m glad I was one of the few who stayed to watch.

Farmageddon

• The weather turned out to the be the sore point of the weekend. I was optimistic that a forecast of rain might materialize into rain showers, or very little rain, but that wasn’t the case. At least, not for Saturday and most of Sunday. 
• I wish I would have managed to get my gazebo tarped. At least it would have provided respite from the rain in between sets. Mesh isn’t the best water deterrent. 
• Mesh also does not stand up to grease fires on a camp stove. (Although I was not the one who created the grease fire...)
• Friday night, and the camp set-up quickly turned into an utterly hilarious beer fest. 
• The camping and stage areas were significantly different from 2014. This year, the camping area was clearly distinguishable from the stage area. While I preferred last year’s set up, I understand that it would not have been possible to have the same set-up again.
• AGLC rules making the stage area a no-smoking zone, free from outside alcohol, sucked. Again, from the perspective of the organizers, it was an understandable necessity. 
• Idolatry played a good set of pure black metal on Friday evening, bringing the darkness with them. 
• I once again managed to miss most of Villainizer between eating donairs and deciding I was drunk enough that I should probably find my tent before it disappeared into the vast sea of tents. Another lesson reinforced: a donair cannot be eaten while drunk without making a massive mess. Which you will not notice until the next morning.
• Apparently you cannot leave beer unguarded outside your tent, even if it clearly is inside your cooler, or inside your gazebo. The beer goblins will strike. 
• Unlike some others, I was lucky enough to stay warm and dry while inside my tent. That, combined with a bit of social anxiety and a general attitude of unfounded irritation probably explained why I spent most of Saturday evening hiding in my tent. 
• I did not end up watching a single full set on Saturday. Which was a disappointment, especially considering I didn’t even venture out to watch Incantation, whom I was really looking forward to. At least they sounded good from inside my tent. 
• The weather made me seriously consider buying some good hunting/outfitting rain gear. I have decided this will be my next major purchase in order to make a rainy festival experience more enjoyable. 
• I should have dug my camera out to capture some of the moments, but I didn’t. 
• The donair truck, while a bit overpriced, was awesome. The fish and chips truck was fantastic. I really enjoyed being able to get a fresh, warm meal that I didn’t have to cook, and that did not consist of burgers or hot dogs. 
• Seagulls, seagulls and more seagulls on Sunday morning. I woke up to the sound of bird shit bombarding my tent. Which is more funny than it should be, considering it always seems to be my vehicle or tent that gets shit on by birds. At least the seagulls didn’t get me. 
• Aggression was phenomenal, inciting enough headbanging to make my neck sore for the next several days. While I had heard of these Canadian thrash pioneers, I hadn’t given them much of a listen. They played one of the most energetic, enjoyable sets I’ve seen recently. 
• Grim Reaper closed the festival on Sunday evening, and what an amazing choice to close a festival. The Brits played to a crowd who enjoyed every moment, and they certainly seemed to feed off the energy themselves. Steve Grimmet cracked a few hilarious jokes throughout the night. The cover of Dio’s ‘Don’t Talk To Strangers’ might go down as one of the most heartfelt, almost-magical, tribute moments I’ve ever witnessed at any concert or festival. 
• The attendance seemed to be double, or more, of what it was last year. While the vast majority of people were incredibly well behaved, I hope continued growth doesn’t attract the kind of people that detract from the enjoyment of the festival for those of us who manage to have fun without being idiots. 

Last, but certainly not least, thank you to everyone who put in an unimaginable amount of hard work to make Farmageddon possible. It is much appreciated to have an event of this calibre so close to home.